Whale Trust's Board of Directors 2006-2007
Whale Trust has an independent national board that works together with an advisory board made up of researchers and educators.
Allen N. Jones, Chairman
Allen recently retired from a 27-year career at Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. At the time of his retirement, Allen was a Senior V.P., Director and Member of the Executive Committee, and the Director of the Private Client Marketing Group. During his career as an executive at Merrill, he also held positions as the Director of Individual Financial Services and the President and CEO of Merrill Lynch Life Insurance Company. In addition to his financial expertise, Allen brings to the Board of Whale Trust a long and diverse history of involvement with other organizations including the American Heart Association, Forum for Investor Advice, the Princeton Medical Center, and the Houston Symphony. Allen currently is a part-time resident in Maui, Hawaii and Vero Beach, Florida.
Richard "Pat" Cochran, Vice-President
Pat Cochran is currently the Medical Director of Cardiac Surgery at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, Maine. In addition to his work as a cardiac surgeon, Dr. Cochran has taught medicine at three universities : University of Wisconsin, University of Washington, and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He is also a nationally-recognized medical researcher. He is a member of numerous professional organizations and holds fellowship status with the American Association of Thoracic Surgeons, the American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Cardiology, the American College of Surgeons, and he serves on several association committees. Dr. Cochran is certified in surgery and surgical critical care by the American Board of Surgery. He is also certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. He has been involved in a wide range of medical research projects funded by regional and national peer reviewed sources (National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, American Heart Association), and has written extensively on a variety of topics relating to cardiac disease, surgery, physiology and pharmacology.
William Scott, Treasurer
Bill retired in 2004 after 13 years with The Bank of Bermuda. At the time of his retirement he was Head of Corporate Planning and a member of the Executive Committee. Prior to joining the Bank Bill had a twenty-year career in the insurance industry in a number of management and executive positions. Bill has used his finance, planning and accounting skills to support a number of community based organizations during his career. He currently serves as Treasurer and board member of the Bermuda Zoological Society. He is also a Trustee of the BZS Educational Trust. His interest in marine mammal research started with joining an Earthwatch program in 1990, where he met Flip Nicklin. Bill has been involved with the Maui based research of Whale Trust since 2000. A native of England, Bill has lived in Bermuda since 1971.
Karyn Kunzelman, Secretary
Dr. Karyn Kunzelman is currently the Director of Research for Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute and Central Maine Medical Center. She has previously been an associate professor in cardiothoracic surgery and biomedical engineering at the University of Wisconsin, and assistant/associate professor in cardiothoracic surgery and bioengineering at the University of Washington. Dr. Kunzelman currently serves on National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), and American Heart Association (AHA) research grant review boards; is an associate editor for two cardiovascular professional journals; and is a member of the board of directors for a national biomedical association, and an international heart valve society. She has received research funding from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, American Heart Association, Whitaker Foundation, and other institutional or industry sponsors for their work studying cardiovascular mechanics, tissue remodeling, and surgical intervention.
Meagan Jones, Co-founder and Executive Director
A co-founder and executive director of Whale Trust, Meagan has been studying whales and dolphins for nearly fifteen years. Her career goals have focused specifically on linking marine science with public education and conservation programs, especially around marine mammals. After receiving a national award for her work in marine education in 1997, Meagan returned her focus to studying threatened populations of humpback whales. In addition to acting as the executive director of Whale Trust, Meagan is working on completing her Ph.D. in environmental studies, while directing a research project focusing on the mating strategies of female humpback whales.
Margaret Sears, Board Member
Margaret Sears has worked in the non-profit sector for over twenty years, focusing on strategic planning, development, education and capacity building for organizations. Currently she is Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer for the World Monuments Fund in New York. Previously, Margaret was a Sr. Vice President for Public Radio International (PRI) and Director of Development at the National Geographic Society where she first met Flip Nicklin, Jim Darling, and Meagan Jones and began supporting Humpback Whale research. At National Geographic, Margaret created new initiatives aimed at bringing philanthropic donors and the lay public closer to the work of field scientists and explorers, including the Society’s Grosvenor Council. An alumna of Boston University and Princeton, where she concentrated in Islamic and Near Eastern Studies, Margaret also served in a volunteer capacity to help American archaeologists secure funding for archaeological field work in Egypt and helped establish AERA, which has conducted work at the Giza Plateau since 1986. Margaret and her husband Daniel Field Lindley reside in New York City and Wilmington, Delaware.
Ann Coopersmith, Board Member
Ann "Frannie" Coopersmith is an Associate Professor of Biology at Maui Community College. In addition to classroom teaching, she works in many different aspects of marine education including curriculum development, in-service teacher training, textbook and newsletter editing, and is a board member of the National Marine Educators Association. She received an MA in Education from Stanford University and an MA in Biology from San Francisco State University.
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